525,600 Minutes
by marehami
Summary: It's been exactly one year since Stan Pines received the phone call that changed his life. Now one year later the newly formed Pines Family reflect on all the hardships, but also the joy that make them the family they are this year and for many more years to come.
1. Prologue

There are lots of different ways to measure a year's time. A year is 365 days; it's also 12 months, 52 weeks, 8,760 hours, and 525,600 minutes. All of these measurements come together to describe the same amount of time passing.

What all of these numbers don't communicate is the emotional experience of living another year of life. It can't measure the moments of laughter, or the moments of stress. It can't measure the amount of tears cried into both buckets of joy and buckets of pain. It can't measure how we grow both physically and emotionally, and it couldn't measure how much can change in that time period.

This could not be any truer than it was for the Pines family between the last day of summer in 2013 and the last day of summer in 2014. In that year alone Dipper and Mabel Pines turned thirteen years old, learned that their parents had been killed in a car accident that very day, been accepted by Stan and Ford as their guardians, dealt with the trauma of sexual assault and lost innocence, experienced a major court trial, found adoptive fathers in Stan and Ford, and adjusted their whole lives around the mysterious town that was now their home.

The family experienced hardships deeper than most could imagine, but on the flip side they had also experience indescribable joy. It was no secret that Stan Pines was not exactly the world's greatest role model, and Ford was so reclusive that no one ever knew what to make of him. Somehow though, as if by magic, when Dipper and Mabel needed them most that human instinct to care for and protect kicked into overdrive for both old men. Fatherhood wasn't something that was on either man's life agenda, but those extra tight hugs, sweet smiles, and understanding of how desperately they were needed made the whole thing more than worthwhile.

Stan had actually shown his protective side to the young twins and his twin brother before that phone call changed everything. All during that magical summer gruff as he was Stan Pines never backed down from a challenge to protect what he held dearer than all the riches in the world…. his family. Whether he was punching a pterodactyl in the face to rescue his niece's beloved pet pig, tackling zombies with his bare hands, scaling a literal mountain to prove he could be a hero, and finally sacrificing himself to save a town and brother that never gave him the credit he was due.

He was ultimately saved from the most unlikely source, a colorful scrapbook their sweet and thoughtful niece had slaved over the entire summer. In her ability to see the very best in everyone she had documented everything needed to piece Stan's broken mind together and allow everyone to see the hero that she always knew was inside of him.

In doing so she had unknowingly opened Ford's eyes to how blind he had been about the blessing that he had in his twin brother. It convinced him to take a step he had wanted to take for more than half his life and invite his brother to sail the world with him. Go on the adventure they spent so many boyhood nights dreaming about.

Of course life had other plans and adventures for the two old men, but looking back on the past 525,600 minutes both of them knew they wouldn't trade this adventure for all the riches of the seven seas.

525,600 minutes is still a long enough time for wounds to form and wounds to heal, and short enough a time for those wounds to still ache when reminded.


	2. Chapter 1 Things Change

"Hard to believe that one year ago we were literally living in every metal rock cover ever," Wendy said as she and the other teens lay on a lush green field in the outskirts of town. (After what happened with Dipper and Mabel's parents the teens forgo hanging out in the cemetery….it's funny how the concept of death doesn't really hit you until you yourself experience losing someone.)

"Personally I would rather be going through the apocalypse than getting ready to start senior year," Thompson stated.

"Awww c'mon Thompson, you aren't excited to be the big dog on campus?" Lee said as he and Nate began barking like dogs to the laughter of everyone.

"It's not that, it's just so much changes your senior year of high school, and I don't like change," Thompson confessed.

"I know change can be scary Thompson, but sometimes good can come of it," Mabel stated as Dipper squeezed her hand. He had known last year that his sister was an endless well of optimism, but this year had done nothing if not convince Dipper of the true power of Mabel's positivity.

"How about you guys? Excited about being the fresh meat?" Wendy asked playfully. Stan had given her the day off from work, but still slipped her a 20-dollar bill to try to keep Dipper and Mabel's minds off the sadness of the looming anniversary. The twenty was a nice incentive, but she would have done it anyways. She had grown close to Dipper and Mabel over that magical summer, but only after having them around for a whole year had she realized just what an impact they had on her life.

"Those AP classes look pretty tough, but you know me, always one for a challenge," Dipper responded smoothly. He had once overheard Wendy talk about how she loved a guy with a brain, and she still hadn't released his heart from last summer.

"Candy and I are eying some of those upperclassman drama kids, sensitive guys make the best boyfriend material," Mabel said wistfully. She had gone to a couple of high school plays last year and she was determined that those were "her people".

"Sensitive and gay as two-dollar bills," Robbie smirked.

"but bae you were in the last play, and you aren't gay…..are you?" Tambry asked as she looked up from her phone.

"NO…..I mean except for me…." Robbie said as he blushed and the other teens burst into a fit of laughter.

Meanwhile at the shack Stan and Ford were racking their brains trying to figure out what to do for Dipper and Mabel's birthday. They were caught between a rock and a hard place. They wanted to do something special for the twins, after all even though they were still in the middle of the adoption process Dipper and Mabel were their children, but at the same time they recognized that tomorrow was going to be a very sad anniversary for Dipper and Mabel and they didn't want to impose.

"We can't just do nothing for them Stanley. After the year they've had they deserve a little fun," Ford said.

"I want to do something sixer, but we…..we can't bring their folks back…." Stan said sadly.

"I know that Stanley, but we….we're their family," Ford said gently.

"Yeah….I mean raising those kids with you is the best thing I've ever done with my life, but…..sometimes I wonder if they wouldn't want to go back to California with their folks…." Stan confessed.

"They would," a voice cut through the brother's conversation.

They looked over to find Soos sweeping, while looking pretty sad himself.

"When I was a kid every year on my birthday my dad would promise to come, and every year I would get a postcard from wherever he was with the promise that he would come the next year. Abuelita always made sure she threw me these big fancy parties as a way to kind of make-up for everything but…..but all I wanted was my dad. Even though I knew that he didn't care about me and that I had a whole lotta people who did care about me it didn't matter. I wanted dad," Soos said as his eyes began to mist.

Stan went over and put a comforting arm around his kindly handyman. Soos wiped his eyes, not wanting to cry in front of his boss and the closest thing to a male role model he had ever had.

"You seem to have a deep understanding of this Soos," Ford said. "What do you suspect we do?"

Soos thought for a minute, "invite their closest friends, the kind of friends that won't care if the party is just sitting around watching TV and feeling sad, just people who care about Dipper and Mabel, that's the most helpful thing we can do. I remember how I would always leave the parties Abuelita threw for me and instead of getting mad she would come into my room with a plate of dinosaur cookies and sit with me while I felt sad. That was always the best part of my birthdays,"

"You're a good man Soos," Stan assured. "I hope that you'll come, the kids love you ya know?"

"I love them too….I love all you dudes," Soos said as he returned his focus to sweeping.

Stan grabbed the broom from his hands, "that's enough work for the day," Stan demanded he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills, "here, this isn't part of your pay just a bonus….why don't you go buy that Abuelita of yours some flowers or something?"

Soos's eyes lit up. "She would love that! Thanks a bunch Mr. Pines! I'll see you tomorrow!" he said as he rushed out.

Ford walked over and put a six fingered hand on Stan's shoulder, "my my my for the stingiest man in town you sure have been throwing out money left and right today! If I didn't know better I would say fatherhood has made you soft," Ford joked jabbing Stan in the side.

"Yeah….well….good thing you know better…." Stan slowly said as he began to rub his head.

Ford looked at his brother, he thought he knew what was about to happen, but he prayed to God above he was wrong. It had been so long since it had happened last. God please don't let it be happening…not now.

"Stanley…." Ford started gently.

Stan looked up at him like a terrified child. It took him a moment before he was able to speak in a very soft whisper.

"Who…who are you?"


	3. Chapter 2 All of my Memories

Ford took a deep breath. He hated seeing his brother going through this, but at least he was there to help. He was also thankful that the kids were out; he and Stan had kept his memory lapses a secret from the kids. After all the trauma they had been through they didn't need to worry about any of the lingering side affects from that nightmare reality they had survived.

"Stanley, it's ok Stanley….I'm right here now. It's me, your twin brother Stanford. It's all going to be ok," Ford soothed as he grabbed Stan's hands in his six-fingered ones.

Stan looked confused at having another grown man hold his hands. He glanced down and smirked in spite of himself.

"Six fingers…that's freaky," Stan commented.

Ford smiled at him. Stan was already cracking jokes that had to be a good sign.

"Here come sit on the couch," Ford instructed as he sat beside Stan and pulled a picture out of his coat. He wished that they still had Mabel's scrapbook full of photos, but it had been destroyed in the fire, so he had to carry on with what he had.

"Do you remember this photo Stanley? It's you and I as children. We used to have so much fun together…." Ford reminisced fondly.

"That beach looks familiar…..didn't it have a ton of glass shards on it?" Stan asked slowly.

Ford's eyes lit up. This was going even better than normal!

"Yes Stanley! That's right! They called it glass shard beach and mother used to get so angry with the two of us, because we would come in with cuts on our feet at least once a week! That's why we are wearing shoes in the picture! Mother told us that we either had to put on the shoes or never go to the beach again!" Ford said laughing as he kept a hand on his brother's back protectively.

Stan was managing to laugh a little bit too, but as he looked deeper at the picture he began to frown sadly.

"What's that thing we are working on?" Stan asked pointing to the earliest design of the Stan O' War.

"That was the Stan O' War! We found it when we were children and spent every summer working on it when we were young" Ford said. His voice filled with every emotion in the book as he remembered their boyhood days.

"Looks like a lot of work for the middle of summer!" Stan commented.

Ford gave a watery laugh, "it was a lot of work, but it was so much fun too. You and I would dream of taking the boat on the water and sailing far away and going on adventures. I believe you once dreamed of finding a mermaid to marry," Ford said with a chuckle.

Stan laughed and smiled too, "yeah I remember that! I was much smoother with the ladies than you were," he said jabbing Ford in the side.

Ford rolled his eyes, but in reality he was overjoyed that his brother was remembering.

Until Stan asked the next question, "so why didn't we?"

Ford's heart sank. Most of the time when Stan had a memory lapse Ford was able to conveniently side step some of the crueler aspects of their relationship.

"I guesss….I guess you could say that we grew up," Ford said sadly.

Stan looked sad for a moment too, until a look of determination came over him.

"Why don't we go now?"

"What?" Ford asked, at first unsure what his brother meant.

"You and I! Let's go sailing sixer! I mean if we are twins then looking at you shows me we are pretty damn old! Old enough to be retired! We can go on all those adventures without a care in the world!" Stan said growing excited.

Ford's eyes widened in shock. Stan had never requested that during a memory lapse. Ford would be lying if he said that a small part of him still dreamed of nothing more. There was a part of Ford that still longed to do that with his brother. After so many years of downright abuse, Ford didn't think he would feel quite right until he helped Stan realize that dream.

But the stronger part of Ford knew that they had a better dream now. That raising those kids with his brother was the greatest adventure of his life, and he knew that if Stan were in his right mind that he would feel exactly the same way.

Stan wasn't in his right mind at that moment though, and Ford felt lost as to what to tell his expecting brother. He felt like he was having to let his brother down again, and it killed him.

"Well Stanley you see…." Ford started.

At that moment Dipper and Mabel came through the front door. Ford wanted to keep them shielded from this scary situation, but he also hoped that they could help him. It struck Ford how much he relied on other people to solve his problems and it killed him, but right now he had nothing else to go on.

Mabel had this amazing ability to read Stan like an open book. They were so alike that it was almost like they had their own telepathy about them.

She slowly approached him and put her hands in his.

"G-Grunkle Stan are you alright?" she asked innocently.

Ford was about to open his mouth to speak when suddenly Stan's mind appeared to be clicking.

"Mabel….Dipper….hey kids," he said with a small smile.

"Oh Grunkle Stan! Thank goodness you remember us!" Mabel said hugging him tight, while Dipper exhaled showing that Stan's state had scared him too.

Ford was about to give a sigh of relief, but then Stan spoke again.

"Of course I remember you two! You are my great-niece and nephew. You kids have been living around here all summer driving us crazy! But hey you two are heading home tomorrow, so why don't you go pack your things? You're Grunkle Ford and I are going to go sailing as soon as you guys go back home," Stan said blissfully unaware.


	4. Chapter 3 Where Ever You Will Go

Mabel didn't cry like Dipper and Ford expected her to. Dipper was actually closer to tears than Mabel. The pessimistic side of him had imagined this very scenario since his parents died. Even when Stan and Ford signed those physical adoption papers right in front of his eyes there was still a part of him that believed that this was exactly what Stan and Ford wanted to do with their lives. Neither one of them really wanted kids, and Dipper couldn't blame them. It still stung deeply though to be denied by a man that Dipper was finally learning to trust.

Mabel rushed up the stairs without a word and wanting to save face and be a man Dipper quickly followed so that Stan wouldn't see the tears that were about to spill over.

Ford was frozen speechless for a moment. He wanted to run up the stairs to assure the kids, assure _his_ kids that they weren't going anywhere, but he couldn't leave his brother like this.

"Ya know, they really are good kids. Part of me is actually gonna miss them…..just don't tell them ok? Can't let them know I care," Stan scoffed.

Ford didn't know what to say to his brother. He didn't know what reaction he would get if he outright told Stan the situation, so he decided that the best course of action would be to remind Stan without verbally saying anything.

The fire in the late fall may have burnt Mabel's precious scrapbook, but their crafty little girl still had plenty of precious artistic treasures that could save Stan's mind. Ford went into the kitchen and grabbed Valentine's Day card off of the fridge that was now covered in calendars and school certificates and all the other beautiful staples of parenthood that he and Stan had been blessed with.

"I want to show you something else Stanley," Ford said as he handed over the card.

It didn't take long for Stan's eyes to widen and fill with tears at what Ford had handed him. It was a beautiful Valentine's Day card covered in glitter and sparkles and everything that reminded Stan of his little girl. Written on it were the words "To the Best Great-Uncle Turned Adoptive Father Ever".

Suddenly everything came rushing back to Stan like a flood….that phone call, the kids parents, the promise he had made to take care of them, the trauma both children endured watching their parents being buried, the trauma Mabel went through nearly being raped, the courage and devotion of her brother, how much he loved those kids, how amazing it felt hearing Mabel refer to him as daddy, how being a father was the best thing he ever did with his life, how he would never dream of being anything or anywhere else.

"Oh sixer….what have I done to those kids...my kids?" Stan said beginning to cry.

Ford rubbed his back, "it's not your fault Stanley, you just had a memory lapse….it's going to be alright, Dipper and Mabel will understand," Ford assured.

"I know they will understand, but I gotta do something to make it up to them. Show them I'm in this thing for the long haul no matter what….will you help me?" he asked quietly.

Ford smiled proudly and raised his hand up.

"High-six!" They both said at once.

Upstairs Dipper came into the room he shared with Mabel to find her quietly placing her things in suitcases.

"Mabel….he probably didn't mean it….he was probably just having a memory lapse, I'm sure Ford is down there explaining everything," Dipper assured. Even though his feelings were hurt by the ordeal it killed him to see Mabel giving up right on the spot.

"Don't you get it Dipper? It's _because of me that he is having a memory lapse!"_ Mabel lamented.  
"Mabel…" Dipper walked over to her side to comfort her. He had a hard enough time convincing her that Brad wasn't her fault, but hearing her blame herself for the literal apocalypse was more than his heart could bear.

"Don't even try telling me it's not my fault Dipper, cause it is! _I TRUSTED BILL! I GAVE HIM THE RIFT! I KNEW IT WAS DANGEROUS, BUT I DID IT BECAUSE I SELFISHLY DIDN'T WANT YOU TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!"_

Dipper was about to assure her that she had rescued him from a lonely life of solitude, but she wasn't done.  
"Everyone gives and gives to me, and…and I never give anything back," she said as tears flowed down her cheek. "The world almost ended because of that….Stan sacrificed himself for all of us that day, and he has kept sacrificing and sacrificing and….and I want to do the same for him," she grabbed Dipper's hands. "I almost lost you that way and I won't do the same for Stan and Ford….if going on this trip will make them happy I want them to go…." Mabel took a shaky breath, "and if you want to go with them, or join a scientific excursion or use your big brain to change the world without your annoying sister over your shoulder I promise to let you go too," she whispered.

Dipper pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace, "well that's too bad cause I am _never letting you go._ You are the best parts of me Mabel. I couldn't have survived anything without you. You give me strength everyday and I will never ever leave you. Wherever you go I am right there beside you. There is nothing out there both discovered and undiscovered that is more important to me than you," Dipper assured.

"Mystery twins?" he offered.

"Mystery twins no matter what,"


	5. Chapter 5

Stan and Ford spent several hours that afternoon planning something special for Dipper and Mabel. They may not feel up to a big party, but Stan and Ford still wanted to get them something extra special. They had birthday gifts from them, but also something extra special.

"Sixer would you ever dream that this would be our lives a year ago?" Stan asked wistfully.

"I can't say I foresaw this, but it's the best thing in the world. I honestly couldn't imagine anything better," Ford said with conviction in his voice.

Stan was deep in thought for a moment, "me either….you know Ford when I got that phone call it felt like me whole world was ending, but it turns out it was just beginning," Stan said as his eyes began to miss.

"You are such a sap!" Ford teased.  
"Says the guy who still cries when we watch Bumbie: the Dearest Deer!" Stan quipped back.

"I can't help it! That poor little deer's mommy…." Ford said as he wiped his eyes.

The two of them shared a laugh before Stan spoke again, "you're pretty good at it ya know?"

Ford looked confused, "good at what Stanley?"

"A pretty good dad,"

Ford blushed, "I had the best teacher around," he said as he put his arm around Stan.

"You know I was really excited about our boat trip, but I don't think it was the treasure and babes I really wanted….all I wanted was to be with my brother…..and best friend," Stan admitted.

Ford smiled, "same for me Stanley….I thought of you everyday we were apart you know?" Ford confessed.

Stan looked surprised and gave a sly smile, "I thought of you everyday too Sixer…..of course I had no choice….those journals of yours and that damn portal drove my mind crazy!"

The two laughed again.

"We had better go check on _our_ kids," Stan said with a voice full of pride.

Ford nodded eagerly and the two of them headed towards the stairs, but Dipper and Mabel were already at the bottom of the steps with their suitcases in toe.

"What do you kids think you're doing?" Stan asked.  
"We're sorry Grunkle Stan, but Dipper and I took a while packing, but don't worry we will leave. Dipper and I talked it over and we agreed that you guys deserve to go on this vacation more than anyone. We can stay with Great-Aunt Janice in Portland and visit when you guys get back," Mabel said trying to steady her wavering voice.

"Not so fast," Stan started.

Dipper and Mabel looked crestfallen. Maybe Stan and Ford didn't plan on coming back at all.

Those fears melted when Stan and Ford engulfed them in bone crushing embrace.

"You kids aren't going anywhere, Stanley and I wouldn't leave you kids for all the riches in the seven seas," Ford assured.

Dipper and Mabel broke into relieved tears as they held their adoptive fathers tighter.

"I know it's not your birthday until tomorrow, but Ford and I want you kids to one of your gifts early," Stan said as he and Ford handed each kid a gift.

The kids looked confused, as they slowly unwrapped their gifts. They were shocked by what was inside.

Dipper had a wooden compass that belonged to their father, who was an avid outdoorsman. Mabel had a beautiful pearl necklace that their mother used to wear on special occasions. Mabel remembered always thinking her mother looked like a princess when she would wear it.

Both kids had tears in their eyes as they held the heirlooms tight and smiled at their adopted fathers.

"When your folks died some of their friends sent these for us to give to you at the right time," Ford explained.

"Yeah and I kept them in storage until now, can't be tempting crooks with a bunch of fancy stuff," Stan continued explaining how these treasures survived.

Not knowing what to say the kids hugged the old men tight.

"This is the best gift ever," Mabel choked out.

Stan and Ford looked at each other and then their children and smiled as they tightened their hold on them.

"Yes, the best gift ever,"


End file.
